- Date
- July 13, 2014, 17:23 local (Jul 14, 2014, 00:23 UTC)
- Place
- Truckee, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N501WGJonker Sailplanes JS1-C
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Windshear or thunderstorm
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20140713013109A
- Case key
- 89658
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control in gusting wind conditions while on final approach to the runway.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that following an uneventful flight, he checked the weather at his destination airport, noting wind was from 220 degrees at 7 knots, gusting to 16 knots. The pilot initiated an approach to landing on runway 20, however, while on final approach, the glider began to descend rapidly and roll to the left. The pilot applied opposite control inputs and noted that the glider began to turn to the right prior to impacting terrain slightly downslope from the runway. Recorded weather observations at the airport about 23 minutes after the accident revealed that the wind was from 250 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 18 knots. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that following an uneventful flight, he checked the weather at his destination airport, noting wind was from 220 degrees at 7 knots, gusting to 16 knots. The pilot initiated an approach to landing on runway 20, however, while on final approach, the glider began to descend rapidly and roll to the left. The pilot applied opposite control inputs and noted that the glider began to turn to the right prior to impacting terrain slightly downslope from the runway. Recorded weather observations at the airport about 23 minutes after the accident revealed that the wind was from 250 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 18 knots. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N501WG
- Reported as
- Jonker Sailplanes JS1-C (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 1C-050
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 130
- Engine
- M&D Flugzeugbau TJ42, 85 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 2, 2013
- Departed
- TRK · Truckee, CA
- Destination
- TRK · Truckee, CA
- Airport
- TRK · Truckee-Tahoe, runway 20, 4,650 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 19, 2013
- Seat
- Center
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 139 in this make and model · 11 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- KTRK, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 20, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.